The Katie Chronicles Installment 4

Chapter 13 - Double Crossed

     After lunch, the girls returned to their cabin for a short rest period before their afternoon activity and free swim. They could read, write letters, or nap during this scheduled quiet time. Lou had gotten their mail and delivered it to their bunks while they were out. Katie was happy to find a letter from Mazie lying on her bunk when she climbed in.

                    Dear Katie,
                         I got your letter. Can’t wait to hear the full story on “Duffel-Bag Girl.”
                    You’ve got me curious.  My mom is doing well, really well, make that
                    really, really, really well. As for me, I’m not so sure. I think I’ll leave you
                    curious, too.

                         I miss you bunches. I was invited to a sleep-over at Lucy Whitaker’s
                    house. It was OK, but her mom made us go to sleep at 11:00. Whatever!


                                                                                 Write back soon.

                                                                                 Love ya,

                                                                                 Mazie

     That’s supposed to leave me curious? thought Katie. Did I miss something? All she said is that her mom was doing really well. Nothing curious in that.

                    Dear Mazie,

                         I’m curious about what I should be curious about. Your mom’s fine.
                    You went to a sleepover and actually slept. Did I miss something?
                    Camp’s great! “Duffel-Bag Girl” isn’t.
                                                                      Wish you were here.

                                                                      Love,

                                                                      Katie

     Next, Katie decided to write a quick note to her parents. I really acted like a jerk, she thought as she reached for her stationery box.

                    Dear Mom and Dad,
                          I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time about camp. You were right.
                 It is fun.  I’ve already made a good friend. Her name is Erin. She likes all
                 the same things  I do. We rode horses and climbed a rock wall today. 
                 Next is arts and crafts and then free swim.
                                                                                       I miss you!
                                                                                       XOXOXO
                                                                                       Katie

     With her letter signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered, Katie lay back on her bunk and wondered how to pass the remaining twenty minutes of rest time. She still couldn’t understand why the camp had said no iPods. This would be the perfect time to kick back and listen to some good music. Katie considered counting ceiling tiles like she did during testing week at school. (She always finished early and had to sit quietly until the other students had finished.) However, the ceiling was made of wood and
didn’t lend itself to counting. Finding herself about to doze off, she was startled with a kick from down below. Leaning over the edge of her bunk, she glared questioningly at Caroline.

     “I’m bored,” mouthed Caroline.

     “So, what am I supposed to do?” Katie mouthed back.

     She glanced around to see if anyone else was awake. The cabin was quiet except for Lou’s snoring. The only other sounds were the buzzing of insects and the chirping of birds drifting in the open window by their bunk.

     “Let’s sneak out,” Caroline mouthed as she glanced sideways and motioned her thumb toward the window.

     Katie dropped her jaw and gave Caroline an “Are you crazy?” look. She rolled back onto her bunk, determined to ignore Caroline, which turned out to be easier said than done. Suddenly, her mattress lurched upward with a firm kick from below. Katie frantically grabbed at the headboard to keep from falling off. Once secure, she leaned angrily over the edge, only to find Caroline in position to deliver another F10 shockwave.

     “Stop it!” hissed Katie. “You’re gonna get us in trouble!”

     “The only way I’ll stop is if you leave with me. I can be very persistent.” she whispered with an evil smirk on her face.

     Katie was in a real dilemma. If she stayed, Caroline would continue harassing her until they both wound up in trouble. Kitchen duty was not Katie’s idea of fun. Maybe, just maybe though, if she slipped outside for a few minutes she could talk some sense into Caroline. Then they could climb back in and no one would be the wiser. It seemed to be the only workable solution.

     Hesitantly, Katie nodded she’d go. Ever so quietly, she lowered herself to Caroline’s bunk. Caroline motioned for Katie to go first. Knowing the uselessness of arguing with “Duffel Bag Girl”, Katie straddled the windowsill. Carefully, she brought both legs to the outer edge and jumped. The window was a little higher than she expected and she landed hard on the ground below. A bit dazed, Katie stood, brushed herself off, and turned to find Caroline grinning menacingly from inside as she slid the window closed and locked it.

     Duped and desperate, Katie wondered what to do. Maybe Caroline would come back in a minute and open the window. Then again, maybe pigs would fly. Katie thought about each window and whose bunk was next to it. If she could get someone’s attention they might help her back in. Unfortunately, the windows were just above her head. If she made enough noise to attract someone’s attention, it would probably be enough to awaken Lou, also. Slowly, Katie realized that she would just have to face the consequences. Lou would do a bed check at the end of rest time and Katie would be missing. Resigned to her fate, Katie walked to the front of the cabin and sat down in a porch rocker.
      Shortly, she heard the now familiar crackle of the speaker system followed by Ms. Vanden Bosch announcing the end of rest time. She listened as the girls inside the cabin began to move about. As expected, she could hear Lou taking roll.

     “Erin?”

     “Here.”

     “Libby?”

     “Here.”

     “Rachel?”

     “Here.”

     “Ava?”

     “Here.”

     “Caroline?”

     “Here.”

     “Katie?”

     No answer.

     “Katie?”

     “I think she’s in the bathroom,” offered Erin.

     “No, not in there,” said Alicia as she returned to the bunkroom.

     “What’s up?” said Lou. “Does anyone know where Katie is?”

     The room was silent, until Caroline piped up. “I wasn’t going to say anything,” she began. “I didn’t want to get my friend in trouble, but I saw her sneak out the window during rest time. I tried to stop her. I warned her she’d get in trouble, but she wouldn’t listen.”

     “Really?” asked Lou. “That doesn’t sound like Katie. Anyway, where would she go?”

     “Well,” replied Caroline. “I think she may have gone to see that Kiefer guy. You know, the one with the guitar.”

     Katie had heard enough. She pulled open the screen door and marched into the room, ready to give Caroline a piece of her mind. But, before she could open her mouth, her dad’s voice was in her head reminding her to “Kill ‘em with kindness.”

     “Here I am,” said Katie. “I’m really sorry for breaking the rules.”

     “Where did you go?” questioned Lou. “What was so important?”

     "Uh, well,” unaccustomed to lying, Katie was at a loss for words. Think quickly, she said to herself. “Well, you see, uh, I was . . . I was . . .homesick. Yeah, homesick. And well, I started to, umm, umm, uh, I started to . . . cry. And well, I didn’t want anyone to hear me, so. . . I climbed out the window. Stupid, I know. I just wasn’t thinking.”

     “Aw,” said Lou as she swung an arm around Katie’s shoulder. “It’s not unusual to get homesick your first time at camp. I just hope the next time you’ll come and talk to me instead of jumping out the window.”

     “So, I’m not going to be punished?” asked Katie.

     “Well, I should move you to the bed next to mine where I can keep a closer watch on you,” said Lou.

     Katie’s heart raced with excitement. A new bunk, she thought, away from ‘Duffel Bag Girl’. What could be better?

     “However,” said Lou, “Everyone deserves a second chance. So-o-o-o, I’m gonna let you stay with your friend.”

     “That’s really too nice of you, Lou. Really! I probably need some kind of punishment, to cure my evil ways. It’s OK, really. I’ll just move my things.”

     “No, Katie,” replied Lou. “I can tell you’re sorry. Moving away from your friend would probably increase your homesickness. Let’s just put this all behind us and start fresh.”

     With that said, Lou blew her whistle and hustled the girls out of the cabin to their next activity.

     Erin grabbed Katie as she came out the cabin door and pulled her behind some shrubs. They watched as Caroline headed up the hill to the arts and crafts cabin. When she was safely out of sight, the twosome emerged.

     “Can you believe that girl?” exclaimed Erin. “She was ready to feed you to the dogs. Lucky for you, Lou didn’t bite. Now, I know you aren’t homesick, so why the big story? Please tell me you weren’t protecting Caroline.”

     “I didn’t plan on it,” replied Katie. “But suddenly the words were coming out of my mouth.”

     “Yeah, well, I didn’t buy it. So, what’s the real story? How did you end up outside?”

     “Oh, I climbed out the window, just like I said. It was Caroline’s idea, and I knew she wouldn’t let it go. So, I agreed to do it. My plan was to talk some sense into her and crawl back in. Unfortunately, she had a plan, too. She told me to go first, which I did. El stupido! She closed the window and locked me out.”

     “No way,” cried Erin, “We can’t let her get away with this!”

     “It’s water under the bridge, Erin. Like Lou said, let’s put it behind us and start fresh.”

     “Huh uh. No way. That girl has to pay, and I have the perfect plan. I’ll tell you about it after class. Last one there is a Caroline clone,” Erin yelled as she took off up the hill.

Chapter 14 - Arts and Crafts

     When Katie and Erin arrived at the arts and crafts cabin, they found a barefoot lady in a tie-dyed dress passing out plastic lace and colored beads. She appeared to be a leftover from the “hippie generation,” what with her granny glasses and silver gray, waist length hair. Any uncertainty about this vanished when she flashed the peace sign and asked the girls to take a seat. As they glanced around the cabin, they found examples of her handiwork displayed everywhere. Suspended from a ceiling rafter was a large macramé owl. Strands of colored beads marked the entrance to the supply closet, and brightly colored, tissue paper flowers adorned the walls.

     “I hope you girls are feeling creative,” the lady began, “because that’s what this class is all about. My name is Ivy, and I will be your instructor. Today we will begin with a basic box stitch. Hopefully, everyone will master it by the end of class. Tomorrow you can choose the laces you would like and begin making your very own key chain.”

     After a quick demonstration, the girls picked up their laces and hesitantly tried to repeat the moves they had seen Ivy’s nimble fingers complete. It wasn’t as easy as it looked. Ivy moved among the girls correcting and encouraging as she went.

     “Remember, ladies, weave strand one diagonally across strand two and under strand four. Then weave strand three diagonally across strand four and under strand two. It’s a simple double cross motion,” encouraged Ivy as she continued to move from girl to girl.

     “Congratulations, Caroline, You’ve made excellent progress. This double cross motion can be quite difficult, but I can see you’ve mastered it.” praised Ivy.

     Katie nudged Erin and muttered under her breath, “No surprise there. Caroline can’t ride a horse, and she can’t climb a rock wall, but she’s a master at the “double cross.”

     “I’m afraid it’s time to clean up now, ladies. You may take your practice lace with you and work on that in your free time. I’m sure Caroline can help those of you who still need help.”

     The girls gathered their materials and headed out the door.

Chapter 15 - The Prank

     As soon as Erin saw Caroline disappear up the trail, she pulled Katie aside. “OK,” she said, “Here’s the plan. Tonight when everyone is playing German Spotlight, you and I will slip back in the cabin, and we’ll short-sheet Caroline’s bed.”

     “Short-sheet her bed? What’s that?” asked Katie.

     “It’s just a prank. Kids have been doing it since the beginning of time,” said Erin. “I learned it at church camp last summer.”

     “I don’t know,” replied Katie as her dad’s voice once again echoed in her ear. “Let’s just forget about it. Now that I know what to expect from Caroline, I’ll just be more careful.”

     “Forget about it? That means she gets away with it. You’ll spend the rest of the summer looking over your shoulder, wondering what she’ll do next. No, we have to do it. No one gets hurt, but Caroline will learn a lesson. Are you with me?”

     “I guess,” said Katie reluctantly.

     The girls spent the remainder of the afternoon at the pool. At dinner, they shared stories about the day’s activities. After the evening sing-along and devotion, they raced back to the cabin for another game of German Spotlight before bedtime. Erin and Katie put on their jammies, but when the other girls dashed out the door, they hung back.

     “Quick,” said Erin, “We’ve got work to do.”

     “Are you sure about this?” asked Katie nervously.

     “You bet I am,” replied Erin. “Now, grab her blanket and pull it off,” she instructed as she snatched Caroline’s pillow and flung it to the floor.

     “The first thing we have to do is reverse the top sheet. Turn it so the hem is at the bottom.”

     Together the girls pulled the sheet loose, turned it and smoothed it out. Erin carefully tucked the bottom of the sheet in at the top of the bed.

     “Now,” said Erin, “Here comes the short sheet part. Instead of tucking the sheet in at the bottom, we fold it up, like this, so the hem is where it always is. We place the blanket back on top; tuck it in, and. . . Voilá! The bed looks just like it did before, only when Caroline crawls in and tries to stretch her legs out, she won’t be able to. Wait ‘til you see her. She’ll have to remake the entire bed. It’ll be priceless! Now hurry, smooth out those wrinkles, fluff her pillow, and put it back in place”

     Just as Erin and Katie finished, Taps began to play over the loudspeaker. Quickly, they darted into the bathroom to hide. Soon the cabin filled with the giggling and chattering of the other girls. Casually, Erin and Katie slipped out of the bathroom and joined the others.

     “Alright, ladies,” warned Lou, “Lights out in ten minutes. Let’s hit the bunks.”

     Erin glanced over at Caroline who was just getting ready to crawl in to hers. Katie was purposely rearranging items on her dresser to assure herself a clear view of the event. Caroline pulled back the covers, sat down on the edge, swung her legs up, and pushed her toes just under the covers.

     That a girl, encouraged Erin silently. Push those feet in and see where it gets you.

     However, things don’t always go as planned, and Caroline’s next move wasn’t the one Erin and Katie expected. Instead of snuggling down under the covers, Caroline turned and lifted the corner of her pillow as if looking for something. Katie and Erin watched as a puzzled expression appeared on Caroline’s face. Caroline pulled the pillow back further and ran her hand underneath. Puzzlement turned to agitation as Caroline turned and knelt on her bunk. Frantically, she threw the pillow behind her and began to run her hand between the mattress and the headboard. In a frenzy now, she jumped out of bed and began snatching the covers from the bed.

     “Where is it?” she cried.

     Flailing her arms, and crawling on her hands and knees, she began to cry hysterically while searching beneath her bed.

     “Where is it?” she screamed.

     Katie and Erin, as well as all of the other girls watched wide-eyed as Lou approached Caroline. Gently, Lou place her hand on Caroline’s back. Caroline flinched and shot a “Don’t touch me look” at Lou.

     Backing off, Lou glanced questioningly at all of the girls as if to ask, “Does anyone know what this is about?”

     Katie and Erin’s guilty eyes met. Sure, they had short-sheeted her bed (No signs of that now, thought Katie) Caroline had completely stripped her bed in her wild search for the missing. . . the missing. . .

     “Caroline,” cooed Lou. “If you will just calm down, we might be able to help you.”

     “Calm down? I’ll calm down when she gives it back,” snarled Caroline as she fixed her eyes on Katie. “She’s been out to get me ever since we met.”

     Lou turned to Katie, as did all eyes in the room. “Katie, do you have something that belongs to Caroline?”

     Shocked, Katie shook her head and sputtered, “I. . . I . . . I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

     “She’s lying,” hissed Caroline, as she stomped toward Katie’s dresser. Before anyone could stop her, she pulled open a drawer and started tossing Katie’s belongings over her shoulder. “It’s in here somewhere,” she screamed.

     Lou grabbed Caroline’s hands in mid-snatch. “Caroline, please, tell us what’s missing and we’ll help you look for it. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can find it.”

     “You can’t help me! It’s gone, and I’ll never get it back. Just leave me alone,” Caroline choked as she grabbed her sheets and attempted to remake her bed.

     “Here, let me help you,” offered Katie meekly.

     But Caroline would have none of it.

     “I don’t need your help. I don’t need anybody.”

     And with that, she crawled into her bed, turned her face toward the wall, and pulled the blanket over her head.

     “If you change your mind, I’m here for you,” Lou said quietly as she motioned the other girls into their bunks. “Things will look better in the morning,” she added as she turned out the lights and settled in for the night.

* * * * *

     Katie didn’t sleep much that night. She was totally confused. Although she and Erin had most certainly short-sheeted Caroline’s bed, they honestly hadn’t taken anything.  She felt guilty about the prank they had attempted to play, but there really was no prank since Caroline totally pulled her bed apart. She’d give anything to be able to talk to Erin, but it would have to wait until morning. Restless and more than a little guilt ridden, Katie finally dozed off.